Sawhorse



s. A. PAPPAS SAWHORSE Y Aug; 25, 19591 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2 9L195? INVENTOR .fp/Y/O! 4. Pappas A TTORNEYJ S. A. PAPPAS Aug. 25, 1959 SAWHORSE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1957 Q Q u w N mw Wm V \w NN W w mw vw Q Q Q INVENTOR. 30/7/05 4. ap 085 n HE I I FWHHAWHP s. A. PAPPAS I 2,901,057

Aug. 25, 1959 SAWHORSE 4 sheets-sheets Filed March 29, 1957 INVENTOR 5pf/i05 A. Pappas A TTOANE Y5 Aug. 25, 1959 s. A. PAPPAS 2,901,057

SAWHORSE Filed March 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I INVENTOR. Jp/ho: A. Pappa;

ATTORNE Y5 United States atent O SAWHORSE Spilios A. Pappas, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 29, 1957, Serial No. 649,378

Claims. (Cl. 182-155) This invention relates generally to sawhorses and more particularly to sawhorses of the type in which the legs can be folded and the height of the sawhorses adjusted.

Conventional sawhorses have been bulky and difiicult to handle, particularly in moving them from one place to another. In addition, conventional sawhorses are generally not readily adaptable for different types of work.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sawhorse in which the legs of the sawhorse can be folded to facilitate movement of the sawhorse from one place to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sawhorse of the above character with means so that a pair of sawhorses can be fastened together into a compact unitary assembly for transport from one location to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sawhorse of the above character in which the height of the sawhorse is adjustable by particularly novel means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sawhorse of the above character with means to facilitate movement of work across the top of the sawhorse.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a cross sectional side elevational view showing a sawhorse embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional side elevational view showing a pair of sawhorses clamped together to form a compact unitary assembly;

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of Figure 9 showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 1010 of Figure 9.

The sawhorse shown in Figures 1 to 7 of the drawing consists of a lower frame 11 in two sections 11a and 11b and an upper frame 12. The lower frame can be formed from any suitable material such as angle members welded together to form the U-shaped sections 11a and 11b. A pair of legs 14 and 16 are mounted on section 11a of the lower frame 11 and another pair of legs 18 and 19 are mounted on section 11b of the lower frame 11. The legs are formed from any suitable material such as the U- "ice shaped channel members shown in the drawing. Each of the legs is connected to the frame 11 by what may be termed a two-way hinge 21 to permit movement inwardly and laterally of the frame from an erect position and movement longitudinally and toward the center of the frame 11 from an erect position.

Each of the two-way hinges 21 consists of a mounting member 23 which is fixed to the frame 11 by suitable means such as rivets 24. One end of a leaf 26 is pivotally connected to the mounting member 23 by a pin 27 and the other end is pivotally connected to another leaf 28 by a pin 29. The end opposite the pivoted end of the leaf 28 is fixed to the associated leg. The leaves 26 and 28 extend at right angles to each other for a purpose hereinafter described. Each leaf 26 is provided with ex tensions 26a which receive the pin 29 and serve to space the connected end of the leaf 28 from the leaf 26 to permit the legs to be inclined at an angle as shown particularly in Figure 6.

Suitablemeans is provided for maintaining the legs erect and consists of spreading means 30 and 31 associated with each pair of legs. Each spreading means is substantially identical and consists of a spreading member 32 which is hinged to one of the legs by pin 33. The other end of the spreading member 32 is provided with a hook-like portion 32a which is adapted to engage a pin 34 mounted in the opposite leg.

The spreading member 32 is held in position by a threaded rod 37 which has one end pivotally connected to clamping means 38 by a pin 39. The free end of the threaded rod is adapted to drop into a notch 41 formed in the spreading member 32 by bending downwardly a tab-like portion 32b (Figure 1). A handnut '42 is provided on each of the threaded rods 37 and is adapted to engage the downwardly turned tab-portion 32b to firmly hold the free end of the spreading member 32 in engage ment with the pin 34 to maintain the legs in an erect position.

Each of the clamping means 38 consists of a split tubular member 43 which is fixed to the framework 11 by suitable means such as rivets 44. The split tubular members 43 are provided with extensions 43a and 43b which serve to mount a handscrew 46 which is used for increasing or decreasing the spacing between the extensions 43a and 43b for a purpose hereinafter described.

The upper frame 12 is formed of suitable material such as fiat plate-like members which have been welded together to provide a rectangular framework 51. A top wall 52 is fixed to the upper side of the rectangular framework 51 and is provided with a plurality of rec- I tangular openings 53 spaced laterally and longitudinally.

A bottom wall extension 54 is mounted in each end of the framework 51 adjacent the lower end.

A roller assembly 57 is mounted within the framework 51 and consists of a rectangular framework 58 which is loosely accommodated within the framework 51 between the bottom wall extensions 54 and the top wall 52. The depth of the framework 58 is substantially less than the depth of the framework 51 so that the framework 58 may be moved between the bottom and top walls of the framework 51. The framework 58 is provided with a pair of lateral members 59 having openings therein to accommodate guide pins 61 mounted between the top wall 52 and the bottom wall extensions 54. A handscrew 62 is mounted in each of the bottom wall extensions 54 and is adapted to engage the lateral members 59 to cause movement of the framework 58 longitudinally of the guide pins 61.

' A plurality of rollers 64 are mounted on shafts 66. The shafts 66 are rotatably mounted in the framework 58 and extend in a direction at right angles to the major axis of the framework 58. The rollers and shafts are so posid tioned that the rollers can be projected through the openings 53 by turning of the handscrews 62 to raise the framework 58.

In the saw horse shown in Figures 1 and 6, the rollers '64 have been arranged so that they rotate in a direction which is longitudinal of the upper frame 12. "-However, it is readily apparent that the shafts 66 and the rollers 64 and the openings 53 in the top wall 52 can be arranged so that the rollers rotate in a direction which "is lateral of the upper frame 12. 'For example, in a .pair of sawhorses, it may be desirable to have the rollers in one sawhorse rotate in a direction longitudinal of the upper frame 12 and the rollers in the other sawhorse rotate in a direction lateral of the upper frame 12.

A tubular mounting member 69 is provided at each end of the upper frame 12 and is fixed to the bottom wall extensions 54. A tubular extension 71 of substantially the same diameter as the tubular mounting member 69 is shown connected to .each of the tubular mounting members 69. Any suitable means can be used for forming such a connection as for example, the threaded connection shown. The diameters of the tubular mounting members 69 and the tubular extension 71 are such that they may be readily accommodated within the clamping means 38. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, by tightening the handscrews 46, the upper frame 12 may be .retained at a predetermined elevation.

Operation of my sawhorse may now be briefly described as follows: Let it'be assumed that the sawhorse is in the position shown in Figuresl to.6 of the drawing. In this position, the legs .of the sawhorse are firmly held in a locked position by the spreading means 31. The upper frame 12 is maintained at a predetermined elevation by the clamping means 38. Since the .upper frame is adjustable in height, the sawhorse is particularly adapted for use with various power tools such as saw, drill presses and the like. When it is desired to move .work such as in ripping or cross-cutting, the roller assembly is moved upwardly by the'handscrews 62 until the rollers 64 project through the openings 53 in the top wall of the upper frame 12. It is readily apparent that the rollers will facilitate easy movement of the heavy loads across the top of the sawhorse.

If the sawhorse need not be of adjustable height, the tubular extensions 71 are removed and the tubular mounting members 69 are placed directly within the clamping means 38 as shown in the upper portion of the view in Figure 7. The upper frame 12 is received within .the lower frame 11 to provide a compact assembly. The roller assembly 57 may still be operated to move the rollers 64 into and out of the openings 53.

If it is desired to move the sawhorses fromone location to another, each of the sawhorses may be folded in the following manner. First, the tubular extensions 71 are removed and the upper frame 12 is placed so that the mounting members 69 extend into theclamping means 38. The handscrew 46 is then tightened to fix the position of the upper frame 12. The roller assembly 57 is then retracted so that the rollers 64 do not extend through the openings 53. The sawhorse is then turned over so that the legs of the sawhorse extend upwardly. The handnuts 42 are then loosened and the threaded rods 37 dropped. This releases the spreading members 32 which are folded upwardly into the associated leg. The legs are-then brought in until they are substantially vertical and then they are swung inwardly towards the center of the sawhorse as shown in Figure 7 until they come to rest on the sawhorse. The tubular extensions 71 then, if desired, may be laid between the legs and the legs and the tubular members 71 tied to theremainder of the sawhorse to form a compact unitary assembly to facilitate movement of the sawhorse from one location to another.

As is well known, sawhorses are generally utilized in pairs, and for that reason it is desirable to provide means whereby a pair of sawhorses can be folded up and placed in a single compact unitary assembly. Such an assembly is shown in Figure 7. As' is apparent from Figure 7, both the sawhorses are substantially identical except that the tubular mounting members 69a of the lower sawhorse as viewed in Figure 7 are substantially longer than the analogous members for the upper sawhorse. The mounting members 6911 must be of such a length that they will extend for a slight distance beyond the split tubular members 43 so that they can be accommodated in the split tubular members .43 of the other sawhorse as shown in Figure 7 .of the drawing. By tightening the handscrews 46 of the upper sawhorse as viewed in Figure 7, both sawhorses can be clamped into a unitary assembly. The tubular extensions (not shown) can be tied into place between the legs of the sawhorses.

Another embodiment of my invention is shown in Figures 8-1O of the drawing. This embodiment of my sawhorse is very similar to that shown in Figures 1-7 except for the upper frame 76 which corresponds to the upper frame 12 of the sawhorse shown .in Figures 1-7. The upper frame 76 consists of a rectangular framework 77. The framework 77 is provided with bottom wall extensions 78 whichare afiixed to the tubular mounting member 69. A plurality of shafts 79 is mounted in the framework 77 and extends transversely of the framework. A plurality .of rollers 81 is mounted on each of the shafts shown for rotation therein and is spacedpn the shafts by tubular spacer members 82. It will be noted that in this embodiment of my invention, the rollers are not movable vertically relative" to the frarnework 77 as they were in the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figures l-7.

A top cover plate 84 is adapted to be mounted over the r0llers'81 and is provided with depending side walls 86 which are adapted to engage the side walls of the sections 11a andllb forming the lower frame 11. Suitable means is provided for connecting the top cover plate to the framework '77 and consists of a pair of brackets 87 which areafiixed to the under surface of the top cover plate 84. A pair of handscrews 88 ,are mounted in bars 89 which extend transversely of the framework 77 and are afiixed to the framework 77. Each of the handscrews is adapted to engage a threaded portion 91 of the brackets 87. Each of the handscrews is provided with a retaining pin 92 to prevent the handscrew from falling through the hole in the bar 89 when the handscrew is not engaging the top cover plate.

Operation of this embodiment of my invention is .very similar to that hereinbefore described 'for Figures l-7. However, in this embodiment of my invention, when it is desired to expose the rollers 81 so that work pieces can be moved easily over the sawhorse, the top'cover plate 84 is removed by loosening the handscrews 88. It will be noted that the upper surfaces of the rollers .81 extend above the side edges of the framework 77 and thus any work placed on the sawhorse will engage the rollers.

When the rollers are no longer required and a flat work surface is desired, the top cover plate 84 may be replaced.

Itis apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a particularly novel sawhorse construction which is .adjustable in height and which may be foldedup into a compact unitary assembly for movement from onelocation to another. In addition, particularly .novel means have been provided for facilitating easy movement of work pieces on the top of the sawhorse.

I claim:

1. In a sawhorse, a lower frame, two pairs oflegs a two-way hinge for mounting each of said legs on said frame adjacent the ends of the frameto permitmovement of the legs from an erected position to a foldedposition, said two-way hinges permitting movementof said legs independent of each other inwardly and laterally of the frame from the erected position and movement longitudinally towards the center of the frame from the erected position, each of the two-way hinges comprising a leaf having one end pivotally connected to the frame, an additional leaf pivotally connected to the other end of the first named leaf, the other end of the additional leaf being secured to the associated leg, a spreading member hinged to one leg of each of said pairs of legs, cooperating means mounted on the other leg of each of said pairs of legs and adapted to be engaged by the free end of the spreading member to prevent inward and lateral movement of the legs with respect to the frame, means mounted on the frame and adapted to engage the spreading member to retain the free end of the spreading member in engagement with the cooperating means, said last named means also serving to prevent movement of the legs longitudinally towards the center of the frame when the legs are in an erected position, clamping means mounted on each end of the lower frame, an upper frame, an extension mounted on each of the opposite ends of the upper frame and extending at substantially right angles to the plane of the upper frame, said extensions being adapted to be engaged by said clamping means and being of such a length so as to permit vertical adjustment of the upper frame with respect to the lower frame, a plurality of spaced rollers mounted in parallel rows in the upper frame longitudinally of the upper frame for rotation about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upper frame, a flat member providing a work surface mounted over said rollers, and means permitting exposure of said rollers when it is desired to move work pieces on said sawhorse.

2. A sawhorse as in claim 1 wherein said rollers are mounted in a separate framework within said upper frame for vertical movement within the upper frame and wherein the flat member is provided with openings adapted to accommodate the rollers so that the rollers may protrude above the work surface, and with means for adjustably positioning the framework vertically with said upper frame, i

3. A sawhorse as in claim 1 wherein said fiat member is removable to thereby expose the rollers.

4. In a sawhorse, frame means, two pairs of legs mounted on said frame means adjacent the ends thereof to provide a support for said frame means, a separate framework mounted in said frame means for vertical movement within the frame means, a plurality of transversely spaced rollers mounted in parallel rows in said separate framework longitudinally of the separate frame work for rotation about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the frame means, a flat member providing a work surface mounted over said rollers, said flat member being provided with openings to accommodate the rollers so that the rollers may protrude above the work surface and means for adjustably positioning the separate framework within said frame means to move the rollers into and out of the openings in said work surface.

5. In a sawhorse, frame means, two pairs of legs mounted on said frame means adjacent the ends thereof to provide a support for said frame means, a plurality of transversely spaced rollers mounted in parallel rows longitudinally of said frame means for rotation about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the frame means, and a flat member providing a work surface mounted over said rollers, said flat member being removable to thereby expose the rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,352 Philipps Ian. 22, 1884 462,581 Peck Nov. 3, 1891 791,218 Schuyler May 30, 1905 840,360 Normand Jan. 1, 1907 850,351 Crum Apr. 16, 1907 1,486,395 Smithers Mar. 11, 1924 1,547,225 Marks July 28, 1925 2,633,221 Roeder Mar. 31, 1953 2,666,673 Hughes Ian. 19, 1954 2,668,981 Dawdy ,Feb. 16, 1954 

